Who still remembers in France in 1878, Kanaky lived one of the most important revolt
against colonization? That year, Michel Millet, peasant bourguignon is in New Caledonia
since he did his military service as a gunner. This man, barely literate, takes care of
writing a diary of his experience during the repression that followed the revolt. This
story is not one event, but rather a French who gradually discovers that distant land.
Starting a campaign to "kill Canac," Michel Millet is first disappointed not to have the
opportunity, then his tone changed as he frequents Kanak auxiliaries of the French army.
In this Kanaky nineteenth century, crosses convicted (including communards ...) who were
deported, sentenced elders who received agricultural concessions, Arab deported following
the revolts of 1870 and 1871 in Algeria, multiple body army and other security forces ...
and all that falls into the camp of France during the revolt of some Kanak tribes whose
lands are eroded by concessions.
We also understand the difficulties of an occupying army, unsuited to the territory
(Michel Millet accurately describes the difficulties of those supplies or to carry his gun
in the broken roads and mountains), forced to rely on his assistants Kanak to do the dirty
work.
This text difficult to read in the first pages as spelling mistakes and pronunciation are
many, is introduced by a very illuminating foreword by anthropologist Alban Bensa, which
highlights the interest of testimony and confronts a Kanak witness the same events.
Renaud (AL Alsace)
o Michel Millet, 1878 Notebooks campaign in New Caledonia , Anacharsis September 2013.15
euros.
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